Sri Lankan navy and rebels clash at sea

Brig Sanath Karunaratne said the fighting took place off thenortheastern coast when a navy patrol came across a convoy of rebelboats…

Sri Lankan navy boats and Tamil Tiger rebel craft clashed today intheir second sea battle this week, military officials said.

Brig Sanath Karunaratne said the fighting took place off thenortheastern coast when a navy patrol came across a convoy of rebelboats just before dawn.

"So far three rebel boats have been destroyed and three others haveescaped." He said there were no casualty figures yet.

He said one of the boats was later spotted on a nearby beach, he said.

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On Tuesday the navy and separatist rebels fought a fierce sea battlein the same area despite a government truce called for the Sinhaleseand Tamil New Year and a rebel ceasefire called earlier.